Bottle cap and stand



May 2, 1967 1 w. s. c. CHIN 3,317,069

BOTTLE CAP AND STAND I Filed May 6, 1965 United States Patent 3,317,069BOTTLE CAP AND STAND Wesley S. C. Chin, P.0. Box 8412, 3934 S. BronsonAve.,

This invention relates in general to a bottle closure device, andrelates particularly to such a closure device which will serve as astand to hold the bottle in an inverted position.

It is common knowledge that ketchup is a problem to remove from thebottle in certain instances. Particularly, it is a time-consumingnuisance to attempt to get a small quantity of the semi-fluid substanceout of the bottom area of the bottle.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a stand whichwill hold the bottle in an inverted position and thus cause thesubstance to drain to the neck portion of the bottle during storageperiods.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a cap which servesas a replacement for the conventional ketchup bottle cap and also servesas a stand.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide such acombination cap and stand adaptable for various sizes of bottles.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparenthereinafter, a preferred form of the present invention is disclosed inthe accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top-plan view of a stand adapted principally to hold abottle with the cap remaining therein;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken along line 22 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of an embodiment which serves both as a cap andstand; and

FIGURE 4'is a section taken along line 4-4 of FIG- URE 3;

Referring now to the single sheet of drawing, two acceptable embodimentsof the invention are set forth for the purpose of teaching theadaptation and use of the invention to two conditions.

FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate a stand having a side wall support structure11 which is formed as a frustum of a cone.

Suspended within the supporting frustum is a cap-engagement collar 14,having a plurality of sections 16 through 19, each of lesser diameterthan the former. Finally, a bottom wall 20 closes this cap-engagementcollar.

The sections 16 through 19 are dimensioned to accommodate the mostpopular-size ketchup bottle caps. Thus, if the purchased bottle fits thesection 16, then the side wall of section 16 will provide lateralstability for the bottle, and the bottle will rest physically on ashoulder 21 which is created between sections 16 and 17. In like manner,each particular bottle, when inserted into the cap-engagement collar,will find its proper dimension and seat upon the shoulder or the bottom20, as the case may be.

Thus, a convenient stability stand is provided in order that the bottlemay be held in an up-ended condition and the ketchup, or whateversemi-fluid substance is contained in such bottle, will collect in theneck region.

It is entirely a choice of design for appearance as to the diameter ofthe base of the frustum section 11, but functionally, such base will beselefited at not less than the dimension of the bottle base for which itis designed. Thus, the bottle will be as stable in the up-endedcondition as it is in the conventional position.

The modification shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 is preferred in some respectsin that the necessity of removing the conventional screw cap from thebottle is eliminated. This embodiment employs a frustum section 25 asthe means of establishing the outer stability diameter. A reverse wall,27 is united at an apex 29 with the wall 25 and thereby provides a Vsupporting wall and also provides the outer wall of a well 37.

Centrally of the well 37 is a two-section plug 32, having a small plugsection 34 and a large plug section 36. Each of the sections 34 and 36is somewhat conical in side wall section in order that the side wall mayslope outwardly and downwardly. Thus, a slight accommodation is providedfor various bottle opening sizes and tight sealing is assured. It hasbeen found that the two-size plugs, together with the shoulder w-alltherebetween, will accommodate virtually all ketchup bottles beingmarketed. A modification of dimension is all thatwill be required in theevent that manufacturers do change the neck diameter of such bottles.

The embodiment of FIGURES 3 and 4 enables both the safe inverted storageand the elimination of the timeconsuming problem of taking off andreplacing the cap.

While the instant invention has been shown and de scribed herein in whatis conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention which is, therefore, not to be limited to the detailsdisclosed herein but is to be aiforded the full scope of the inventionas hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination bottle cap and stand, comprising:

a one piece bottle plug having a base adapted to seat upon a planarsurface, said plug having a stepped concentric form around a centrallongitudinal axis for fitting a plurality of differing size bottleopenings;

a well surrounding said plug and attached to the base of said plug, saidwell defined by an annular wall extending on a plane substantiallynormal to said axis of said plug, and an upwardly and outwardly sllopingwall extending less than the altitude of said P 8;

stand means for projecting outwardly to a stability position on saidplane, said stand means comprising an upwardly and inwardly sloping wallbeginning on said plane and extending to a juncture with said outwardlysloping well wall, said well wall and stand wall having an inverted Vcross sectional configuration;

whereby, said plug may project into the mouth of a bottle and close saidmouth, and the well may provide additional sealing closure for thebottle as Well as to catch any inadvertent seepage from said bottle, andthe stand means provides stability against tipping of a bottle held inan inverted position upon said plug.

2. A combination bottle cap and stand, comprising:

a one piece bottle plug having a base adapted to seat upon a planarsurface, said plug having a bottle stopper form around a centrallongitudinal axis;

a well surrounding said plug and attached to the base of said plug, saidwell defined by an annular wall extending on a'plane substantiallynormal to said axis of said plug, and an upwardly and outwardly slopingwall;

stand means for projecting outwardly to a stability position on saidplane, said stand means comprising an upwardly and inwardly sloping wallbeginning on said plane and extending to a juncture with said outwardlysloping well wall, said well wall and stand wall having an inverted Vcross sectional configuration;

whereby, said plug may grip the mouth of a bottle and close said mouth,and the well may provide additional sealing closure for the bottle aswell as to catch 3 4 any inadvertent seepage from said bottle, and the2,963,256 12/1960 Borah 248346 stand means provides stability againsttipping of a 2,990,080 6/1961 Harris 215-48 X bottle held in an invertedposition. FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited by the Examiner 5 1,007,17895 F nce. 1,082,517 6/1954 France.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 200,288 7/1908 Germany 1,571,254 2/1926 PC0116248-346X 1,789,789 1/1931 Tallmadge 248-346 JOSEPH R. LEcLAIR, PrimaryExaminer.

1 33 2; 215 47 1O FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, GEORGE 0. RALsToN, 2,496,7922/1950 Hellberg 248-346 X Exammm' 2,872060 2/1959 Bnme et a1. 215 47 D.F. NORTON, Assistant Examiner.

1. A COMBINATION BOTTLE CAP AND STAND, COMPRISING: A ONE PIECE BOTTLEPLUG HAVING A BASE ADAPTED TO SEAT UPON A PLANAR SURFACE, SAID PLUGHAVING A STEPPED CONCENTRIC FORM AROUND A CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS FORFITTING A PLURALITY OF DIFFERING SIZE BOTTLE OPENINGS; A WELLSURROUNDING SAID PLUG AND ATTACHED TO THE BASE OF SAID PLUG, SAID WELLDEFINED BY AN ANNULAR WALL EXTENDING ON A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TOSAID AXIS OF SAID PLUG, AND AN UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY SLOPING WALLEXTENDING LESS THAN THE ALTITUDE OF SAID PLUG; STAND MEANS FORPROJECTING OUTWARDLY TO A STABILITY POSITION ON SAID PLANE, SAID STANDMEANS COMPRISING AN